Massachusets’ Battle With Lead

The Boston Globe has posted an informative article today about its state’s ongoing struggles with lead poisoning. Lead can be found in lead paint, lead pipes, and more. When someone, especially a child, is exposed to this hazard, sad consequences can result.

A favorite excerpt from this article:

‘A heavy, soft metal, lead has countless industrial uses, including in batteries and bullets. It was a primary ingredient in water pipes, solder, and paint until its use in those products was banned. “Numerous studies have documented correlations between childhood lead poisoning and future school performance, unemployment, crime, violence, and incarceration, making lead exposure an important social determinant of health,” the state Department of Public Health noted in a brief released in June.’